Women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

RAGE

I'm only leaving this photograph up for 24 hours since I respect my granddaughters' privacy. They are beautiful, talented and extremely intelligent. I've been asked time and time again, "What nationality are they?" They are Australian, born here as was their father and mother. On their father's side, they inherited French, German, Scot and American genes. On their mother's side, they inherited, Sinhalese, Dutch, English and Irish genes. They are my United Nations. They are Human Beings.

7 comments:

They are lovely and I hope they have never been subject to any racist nastiness.

I noticed when my children were in primary school, with lots of children of different heritage, that the children did not notice the difference. It comes later: they are taught it by adults, media etc and pass it onto their peers. And it comes alway the way from the top with utterances from the prime minister such as 'we will decide who comes here'.

I am frightened to think that multiculturism isn't working, at least at this stage: it's really a bandaid on a festoring sore.

It is my vain, and probably useless hope that the word 'multiculturalism' can be - if not eradicated from the language - at least relegated to some obscure and archaic dictionary. To be replaced by the word, and concept, of 'cosmopolitan'. Hope that you do not misunderstand when I say that am proud that they are Australian.

Ron, I think multiculturalism is working. There are some speedbumps, but it's working. The quickest way to trash it is allow yourself to be convonced by the racists' propaganda that it isn't working. Most Australians of whatever origins are making honest and decent efforts to get along, so it's working. Don't let a minority of racial bigots contol the agenda.